Author's Note:

I know this is a very long chapter. I had no idea where to break it. Honestly, I wanted to get it all out and at the same time I was conflicted. If you would like to suggest a break feel free to do so in the comments.

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Leonard Nimoy, he was the original Vulcan and we will miss him. I remember when I was a kid sitting up and waiting for my dad to come home, he used to work in New Jersey, I live pretty far from there, and didn't get home from work until midnight. I would sit up and wait for him, when he got home he would put aside his laptop and turn on the TV to Star Trek, the OST. Every night my father and I would watch the adventures of Captain Kirk and Commander Spock. As time passed we watched Next Generation and eventually Enterprise, but I still remember my first time watching.

The first time I saw a Vulcan and knew that I wanted to write them.

When I became older I saw his film, "Never Forget" I was moved and couldn't help but admire his dedication. Late in college when I had stopped spending time with my father, and all but forgotten about those moments on the sofa, I saw his name again in my photography class and was inspired by his photography, I hadn't learned it was his until later.

Mr. Nimoy, you have inspired the world to dream of diversity, to see the dangers of closed mindedness and the pain it brings. You dared us to imagine a world greater than our own, and day, after day, remind us of the beauty of life.

I don't think we will ever be able to forget the humanitarian, the artist, and friend to the world, he will live on through his work and the stories we tell. We grieve for thee, Mr. Nimoy. You will be missed. May your journey among the stars and even beyond be full of adventure, prosperity and new stories to tell. #LLAP

Live Long and Prosper Among the Stars, Mr. Nimoy. It is where you truly belong.


Chapter Ten: The Cost of Life

The morning was brisk, the air of the house was electrified as the sound of feet scampering through the hallways erupted, causing the silence to fleet as life took root once more. The once still and dead halls had sprung with new vivid emotions that seemed to seep into the wooden walls. The scent of fresh breads, berries and eggs wafted from the kitchen and curled through the house. The earthiness of traditional French Roast Coffee, the exotic spices of Vulcan tea and the subtle scent of cinnamon, roused Kate. She slowly rolled onto her side and looked out the massive landscape window, her eyes narrowing after a moment, Evora wasn't going to arrive until later that day, near the middle of the day.

Kate slowly rolled out of bed and called out, "Computer, time," groggily, her brain was still wrapped in fog and her voice was rough. The computer sparked to life immediate, "0715, Major Forrest," it replied. Kate hummed as she sat up and stretched her arms over her head, her joints popping as she did so. The black silk sheets pooled around her waist and she hummed, Stark had always been one for fine items, and oddly the black sheets were something she had grown accustomed to, and she chuckled. Amanda had given her a set of black satin sheets in case she ever decided to bring a man to her place. She never truly understood the appeal of black sheets, they were beautiful and different but other then that they were simply sheets.

She pushed back the gray duvet that was covered in red and black reeds. Her fingers ran through her messy blonde hair and she slipped out of her bed. "Computer, Playlist eighteen track two," she commanded. She listened to the sound of a record turning and laughed, of course Stark had used that as a sign that the song was going to play, he always did have a sense of humor as she heard the needle hit the record and the familiar bass intro of "Before We Fall in Love."

Kate hummed as she walked over to her pack and pulled out a thick black sweater and a pair of dark blue jeans. "Computer, increase volume to 68 percent," she called as she reached into her pack and pulled out an slate gray bra and pair of matching panties, "Leave it to Amanda to make sure my underwear matches, even though no one is going to see it," she griped as she slipped into them. Dressing was easy as she threw the articles on, her movements in time with the infectious rhythm of the piece, her movements were swift as she slipped the sweater over her head.

Finger tips slipped over plush black socks as she slipped them on and then ran into the bathroom only to purposely slide to a stop before the mirror. Her blue eyes widened and she groaned, her hair was everywhere, it was knotted in places she didn't think it could be. "Damn it," she groaned as she pulled out her detangle spray and proceeded to spray her hair before running a comb through it. After a few minutes of battling her tangled and wild mien she had managed to make it look presentable. She quickly left the bathroom and decided to investigate where the delightful smell of bread and cranberries was coming from. She walked down the hallways with her PADD in hand only to find that the music was following her.

Usually she would go for a run and work out, however she was more concerned about the Ambassador, he was accustomed to living his life in a very specific order, his schedule was like a well oiled Swiss clock, it was never out of step. She quickly trotted down the stairs, her music slowly dying down as she did so, only for her to be greeted by a sound that was oddly soothing, it was an orchestra playing softly, it was the sound of a gentle piano and a soft string accompaniment. She closed her eyes and felt herself become swept away, she turned walked through the living room and stare at the sight of a tall figure standing in the kitchen.

His silver hair was impeccable as always and she noticed how his thick sweater settled nicely at his hips, he was wearing a pair of gray slacks and the deep red sweater stood out. His sleeves were rolled up and he was wearing a pair of clear gloves, "Good morning," she said after a moment as she watched the Vulcan finish slicing a few berries and placing them in a bowl. Soval turned, his expression was blank but she noticed his eyes seemed brighter, the golden rays of the sun swept over his skin and she realized this was the first time she had truly taken the time to admire him. "Good morning, Major," he replied.

Kate sighed, she was back to being Major Forrest, somehow with her step forward the night before she had managed to slip three steps back. She allowed her shoulders to fall slightly before walking over to the black coffee pot, of course there was a real one, all Starks were known for practically mainlining caffeine. It was a family trait, at least which was the rumor, since nearly every photo of Nathan Stark, Nathanial's ancestor and the one who had managed to amass the fortune, was never taken without a cup of coffee in hand. She reached into one of the cupboards and pulled out a white mug and poured a generous amount of the dark liquid into the cup.

Blue eyes drifted over to the bowl to see strawberries, blue berries and a few slices of orange. The scent of cranberries confused her as she looked over to the counter that was lightly dusted with flour. The time rang and Kate watched as Soval reached into the stainless steel state of the art propane oven and pull out a tray of golden triangles with brilliant dried cranberries through it. He placed the tray on the range and closed the door, "Cranberry Orange Scones," he said simply as he reached for a platter. Kate's eyes widened, the Ambassador could cook, and it wasn't only Vulcan food.

The sweetness of cranberries coupled with the bright orange from the scones caressed her nose and she closed her eyes as she purred. "They smell great! I didn't know you could cook," she said curiously as she looked at the golden wedges, they were perfect triangles and she realized that the smell had roused her, "You didn't have to make breakfast," she said after a moment as guilt washed over her. She was supposed to be the host and yet he made breakfast.

The Ambassador picked up a spatula and began to gently lift each triangle from the now browned parchment and placing it on the tray. The wedges stood out against the white and the Ambassador replied, "It is tradition on Vulcan that the guests cook breakfast." Kate stared at him and noticed how he carried the tray with purpose to the breakfast bar, not that she minded, the dinning room was intimidating enough, she didn't need to feel as though she would be critiqued for her manors as well. Soval placed the bowl of fruit before them as well as serving spoons and a pair of tongs, he had light parchment paper cut in squares, which she quickly realized was for him to use to eat with. She was about to ask about the eggs when Soval placed a plate before her, they were over-easy. "How did you know how I liked my eggs?" she asked curiously. Not even Amanda knew that detail and she knew nearly everything about Kate.

The Vulcan sat across from her and picked up the serving spoons before putting some fruit on his plate. There was a great deal of finesse in his movements, each subtle gesture was polished making her wonder how long it had taken for him to learn these skills. Soval did not offer a reply and Kate realized that he was probably more concerned with sustenance, then conversation. She lifted the fork to her lips, "We will have to go shopping, this was all I could find," he explained after a pause.

She knew it would be it had been a while since the house had seen guests and it didn't surprise her much. "We can head into town, besides we need to pick up a few things before we go on our hike tonight," she stated with ease as she broke the tip of the scone off and slipped it between her lips. She purred as she tasted a delicate medley of citrus and cranberries with a hint of natural sugar, oddly the Ambassador could bake. "An evening hike?" he asked curiously. Kate paused and looked over to see a genuinely confused Ambassador, clearly he didn't realize what the technicalities of this entire series of events.

She placed her fork down before looking at him, "It's the only time we can see it, the night and the best place to view them is by a frozen lake, about a mile and a half from here," she explained. Soval was quiet, she could tell he wasn't too keen on this idea, to be honest if it were warmer it wasn't as bad, however it was the coldest time of the year to do this and she wondered just what Stark had been thinking, only to remember that during that time it was impossible to detect flitters and communications due to the electrons in the atmosphere. Soval seemed to stiffen at the notion, his tension causing his once fluid movements to become slightly jagged, and less polished.

Kate drew a deep and calming breath, as Suran had attempted to teach her, it seemed to be the only lesson she had understood, "Look Stark sent our contact there, not my idea but we don't have a choice," she said tersely. It was the truth, she would have selected a warmer climate, then again it was clever, no one would think to look for the Vulcan Ambassador in the arctic. "Why did he ask for you to bring the spyglass?" he asked. Kate drew a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks, "I have no idea, Starks have always been eccentric, I've just learned to deal with it," she commented.

The silence stretched between them as she picked up the bowls and went to put the aside, "Evora will wash them, we don't have a lot of time before our hike and we need to pick up some things," she commented. The Ambassador nodded as he followed her to the foyer, it was then he watched her reach into the closet and pull out her thick jacket and boots. "It's going to be colder than it was the night before, but we can't afford to lose this shot," she said after a moment. Soval picked up his boots and slipped them on, she noticed him listening to her attentively, it was strange for him to listen to her when it came to issues of this nature. "What is the Julep Festival?" he asked. Kate stared at him in confusion as she narrowed her eyes in confusion, "The what?" she asked. Soval pointed to the door and noticed it was written in Evora's handwriting, apparently she was up and about, more likely than not she was in the laundry room or cleaning. Apparently Evora's handwriting was just as bad as it always had been.

Kate snatched the note off the door and proceeded to turn it upside down and various other ways in an attempt to decipher the nearly impossible handwriting of Evora. It amazed her how people could get away with such atrocious penmanship, then again nearly everything was computerized. "That's not Julep that's Jolt, of course Stark would send us up here during that," she growled. Soval stared at her, of course she had no idea what a crazy little two in the middle of the Yukon territory did for fun and all because years ago Stark, Stark and Stark couldn't help but show off. It was legendary, or at least to anyone who had lived in the Yukon long enough. Nathan Stark, Kyle Stark, Nathan and Jack's son, and Tony Stark – Nathan's half brother - all had gotten together and decided to have a little competition involving pyrotechnics and a race through the territory on hover boards designed for snow. Terrible things happened when you put three Starks together and left Carter to his own devices.

The result was festival that was bright, loud and fast. "You'll see soon enough, just stay close to me and keep your hat on, you don't want to get drafted," she cautioned. Soval's dark eyes locked on hers and he asked with sincerity, "Humans draft others to participate in social events? Such actions only have merit in times of war." Kate sighed with exasperation and rubbed her temples, apparently he had decided to be a typical Vulcan today and she said softly, "It's an expression. Never mind, let's get going."

~~vOv~~

Light, slipping through the darkness, and rousing the senses,

A whisper,

A murmur,

Jumbled…

Distant…

And wrapped in fog.

A stiff mat and the scent of antiseptic worked their way into the distant corners of his mind. The jumbled thoughts, which had been ambiguous and confusing, took on a new shape. They straightened slightly forming linear lines rather than a jagged and curled line of random segments. The murmur grew louder and the water that seemed to surround his mind had somehow drained. "Sarek," a stiff voice called, it wasn't as stern as those that usually sounded him and was colored with an emotion – concern, or at least that was what he perceived it to be.

Dark eyes slowly opened, the glaring white surroundings of what he believed was the medical bay were blinding. Standing over him was a Denobulan he did not recognize, the mans vivid blue eyes were locked on him and he could see their concern. "You're awake," the doctor stated, there was a distant whine of a tricorder, a sound he was too familiar with. Sarek felt his heavy limbs and was quick to ascertain that he was relatively unscathed and had been safe after his body had forced him into a healing trance. "I am functioning at optimal capacity," he replied flatly as he sat up. His body was tight, but that was from the long period of time it had been still and unused. The Denobulan stepped back, and he had a feeling this man was the doctor of the Enterprise, at least he believed he was on the Enterprise, it's captain had given commands with haste to have him transported from his own ship to theirs. "Welcome to the Enterprise, I am Doctor Phlox, Captain Archer and Commander T'Pol will be here shortly," he stated as he clasped his hands before his person.

Sarek gave a stiff nod as he sat on the bio-bed, the room was cool, he observed and began to shiver slightly, his robes were thinner since it was customary for Vulcan ships to have atmospheres and temperatures similar to their home world. However, that wasn't just for the Enterprise, it was an Earth vessel, which meant its climate controls were set up for humans. Phlox reached into a cupboard and pulled out a thick blanket, "Here, it is cold on this ship," he stated as he held out the thick gray blanket to the Vulcan. Sarek looked at it before accepting it slowly, he didn't have a choice, his body was sensitive after having pulled out of a healing trance.

The sound of the medical bay doors opening caught his attention and he looked over to the doorway to see a man with light brown hair enter, he had a large nose and looked like one of the many terran art pieces he had seen with chiseled features. Following him was the familiar figure of T'Pol, she was well known on Vulcan and nearly every citizen knew her by reputation as well as appearance. She was dressed in a thick uniform, and stood at attention just a step behind the Captain. "Captain Archer, Commander T'Pol," he greeted as he held up the Ta'al. "Welcome aboard Sarek, I trust Phlox has treated you well," Archer remarked, his tone was warm and inviting.

Sarek was still, the Captain was human which meant his emotions dominated him. It wasn't a wonder as to why T'Pol was his first officer, having someone to anchor wayward emotions would be ideal in a number of instances, "Yes, he has been efficient and through," he replied. Archer seemed to relax slightly, it was noticeable around his eyes, they seemed brighter after the statement. It was then he realized he no longer had it, the cargo, the reason he had attempted the journey in the first place. "Where is the key?" he asked rapidly. T'Pol arched a brow and Archer held up the black box, "You mean this?" he asked.

Dark eyes fell on the cube, the Captain had it. He paused, he had to determine how to respond to them without startling them, not even the VSA was aware he had it, or at least they weren't currently. His dark fingers clutched the blanket tightly as he began to formulate a response to the onslaught of questions he knew he was going to receive. "What is it? You called it a key, but this isn't a normal key," he stated. Sarek held his hand out for the cube and drew a deep breath, he had received the communication from Soval himself, and even though the Ambassador wasn't satisfied with Archer's actions in a typical setting, he had been informed that the human before him was trust worthy.

Archer placed the box in his hand and Sarek's fingers swept over it. "It's a key," he stated. He ran his fingers over the edges before pressing the top of the cube downward. Archer was about to speak when the black siding faded and was replaced with a vivid crystalline blue object, it was warm to the touch and the light swept over the surfaces of the room. "I do not know what it is to, I was only informed of how to activate it, and that it must be delivered to the Vulcan Envoy to Earth, Ambassador Soval, in five days time," he stated. Archer was standing closer than before his hazel eyes fell on the cube before them and T'Pol asked, "Have you analyzed the software?" Sarek looked up at her and replied simply, "I have attempted to do so, however it is unlike our own, and I was unsuccessful in doing so."

T'Pol's eyes fell on the cube, he could tell she was now interested in the once simple object. It wasn't a normal thing to create a device that managed to confound even a Vulcan, especially since they had been the ones leading the technical revolution for centuries in the Universe. He slowly ran his fingers over the bottom and the cub returned to it's original bleak state, unassuming and simple. He held it out to Archer, "It is safer with you, Captain Archer," he remarked.

The captain's hand slowly accepted it as he looked at it in his hands and then to Phlox, "Phlox, is he healthy enough to leave your watch?" he asked after a moment. Sarek noticed how his tone had slipped back to the one he seemed to use for command. Phlox smiled, it was an attempt to disarm them, "Of course, he is free to go," he replied warmly. The Captain looked to T'Pol, she was calm and he watched as she clasped her hands behind her. "T'Pol, make Sarek more comfortable, I am sure he would rather you guide him through the ship and aid him than myself," he stated. Sarek was surprised, he hadn't expected that, most captains assumed such tasks.

It was logical for him to ask T'Pol to do so, but it was rare for a human to display such logic, at least what he had heard of. "Yes, Captain," she said simply, as though it was a normal request. The Ambassador had been aboard the ship many times, as had T'Var, however both had mentioned that the Captain sought to their needs. He then turned his attention to Sarek, "We are investigating what happened with your ship, I was going to speak to our Chief Engineer," he said simply.

"Captain, I will join you for this meeting," he stated flatly, "It is my responsibility to learn and report what has transpired. I will also provide you with my testimony." Archer was taken aback by this, he could tell from the look of shock and confusion that had appeared on his face. "Surely you need rest," he stated with a hint of concern. Sarek was confused for a moment, hospitality was one thing, but when faced with a mysterious accident and no doubt deaths, not to mention the way in which he had procured the ship was sensitive, it wasn't logical. He paused, it wasn't logical because he wasn't like T'Pol, "You spoke with T'Pau," he remarked.

Archer's gaze shifted slightly and he watched the captain look slightly guilty, "Yes, it was out of courtesy, Vulcan has done the same for us in the past. We are allies after all," he stated. Sarek was silent, T'Pau knew where he was, which meant that soon enough those who wished to foil him would as well, the Captain had just put them in harms way and didn't realize it. Archer drew a deep breathe before said softly, "Alright, I'll show you to engineering." Sarek got off the bio-bed. He quickly folded the blanket before leaving and placed it on top of the bed. His strides were even and controlled as he allowed his hands to fall to his sides, if only his mind was the same. The doors opened and he heard the familiar steps of T'Pol behind him as they walked through the corridors of the ship. He could hear the buzz of the crew as he continued to follow the captain, the sound of thoughts wisped through the air, it was the opposite of the usual silence of a Vulcan ship.

They turned the corner and he noticed a pair of ensigns walk by, they bowed their heads with respect and Archer turned yet another corner, his expression was stern and he realized the man Soval had instructed him to trust took his post seriously.

"When did the communication take place?" he asked after a moment, he needed to create an approximate timeline. Archer looked affronted, "A day ago," he stated. Sarek quickly calculated the approximate position of his pursuers, they were too close. They had to leave the region or not only his life would be in danger but the entire crew of the Enterprise, the flagship of Starfleet. He was about to speak when he noticed the doors of a division labeled Engineering opened, he could hear the hum of a warp core and noted the age of the design. While it was advanced in Terran terms it was a far cry from the ingenuities and swift engines used in the Vulcan Fleet.

Standing before a screen was a tall man with sandy blonde hair, fingers moved over the panels and he heard Archer clear his throat. The young man jumped only to turn and see the Captain, a pair of steel colored blue eyes fell on them and he smiled warmly, "Capt'n, Commander," he greeted. The man's accent was unusual, he had heard man recordings of human speech but found this man's vocal pattern fascinating. "Trip, what can you tell us about the ship?" he asked. The young engineer hummed before looking at his PADD, "Well I can tell you now, that his ship has a warp core configuration I've never seen before, it can certainly do better than Warp 9, sir," he remarked as he put the diagrams from his ship on the screen.

Sarek recognized the blue prints and watched Trip walk the others through it, "See, the arrangement of the crystals is different as is their composition, I've never seen anything like it," he stated as he drew up their molecular structure. Archer crossed his arms and glared at the screen, "What's the difference between ours and theirs?" he asked, ignoring Sarek entirely. It was then that the engineer shrugged, "I don't know, the structure is so different I didn't think they were even part of the dilithium family," he stated.

The Captain looked to T'Pol who was examining the structure, "I am unfamiliar with it as well, both the ship and the structure of the crystals. Their molecular structure does not match what we have in the database and has not been seen prior to this." Archer hummed thoughtfully as he stepped up to the screen and began examining other parts of the blue prints, it was the most advanced ship on Vulcan, the fastest designed to date and yet a pair of Terrans from Starfleet were looking over the design. "Contact the Vulcan Science Academy, we can't investigate if we don't know what we are looking at," Archer stated harshly.

"That would be unadvisable," stated Sarek sternly, his voice was even but did not regret that moment to speak. Instantly the eyes of Trip, T'Pol and Archer were on him, "Why not?" asked Trip in genuine confusion, his eyes were wide as he looked at Sarek as though he had lost his mind. Archer looked irritated and curious while T'Pol looked slightly confused, and Sarke knew then he wouldn't have a choice but the tell them what he could so they would get to Earth faster.

"It was not acquired through traditional channels," he replied carefully. Archer's eyes narrowed and he shook his head as he realized just what he was being told. "What do you mean traditional channels?" he asked and held his hand out for pause as he stared at Sarek, humans were slow at times. "Hang on, are you saying you stole it?" he asked, his voice was elevated and filled with a great deal of confusion, irritation and what sounded like exasperation. Sarek was still for a moment, he stared at the three unblinking.

"Yes."

~~vOv~~

Shouting, screaming, flashing lights from cameras, racers arguing, blinding colors, the smell of oil from fryers and other treats, and of course the number of emotions traveling through the air seemed to make even the Ambassador stand still in what could only be described as terror, or at least that was what Kate would have called it. It was no wonder why she had left these details out of the equation as the small town had erupted and something akin to pure chaos was occurring around him. Soval stared at the mess of bodies before him, it was endless and he stiffened, it would be impossible to get through the crowd without brushing against anyone. In all 30 years of being an Ambassador to the planet, never once had he seen something as vivid as this, he had been to festivals, galas, charity events and the like, but this was something new and his sensitive senses were immediately assaulted.

Kate stood beside him, her hands were on her hips as she said with a smug grin, "Welcome to the Yukon territories most interesting little town I know," she said. Soval was confused as he looked to the sign and noticed it too was called Vulcan. His brow lifted and Kate chuckled, "Stark, Stark, Stark and Carter-Stark," she said as though that were the best explanation she had to offer, "They couldn't call it Eureka 2, since that was too predictable, so they called it Vulcan," she explained, "These days it give people a laugh." She hummed as he crystal clear blue eyes looked over the sight before her, her body showed no signs of tension, she seemed to be at ease, despite the circumstances.

She smiled as a pair of kids dashed past only to slide across the ice with glee, parents were shouting in a mixture of anger and terror, causing her to chuckle. "I remember doing that, it gave my dad a heart attack," she said distantly before straightening, "Come on, let's get the shopping done so we can get out of here."

In a flash she was in the crowd and they began to venture into the busy square. Foods in all states of preparation were visible and children sat to have their faces painted, it was peculiar, he had seen Kabuki of Japan and understood the purpose for theater however a child having their face painted confused him. A small child jumped out before him and held his hands up like paws and roared, he had a hat surrounded by long fur and his face was painted gold with a black nose and whiskers. His brow lifted and he stared at the child before him, "I'm a lion," said the boy with conviction. Soval stared at the child and replied simply, "You are not, you are a human boy. Anatomically there is no part of your person which resembled a feline."

The boy's brown eyes narrowed as he said petulantly, "I am a lion." Soval internally sighed, as he looked at the confused child. "No you are," he began only to see Kate jump in. "Soval! Careful, he's a ferocious lion," Kate said with mock horror. Soon after his brows lifted higher as he stared at her, she was a MACO, he didn't doubt that she knew what a lion looked like and noticed how the child before him brightened and roared once more. "Travis Bartholomew Katz!" shouted a woman from several feet away. The child visibly flinched, and responded sheepishly, "Yes mom?" The woman's eyes narrowed as she hissed, "Get back here." The child scrambled away and Kate chuckled.

"In what way was he a lion? He doesn't share the same ancestry," he stated in bewilderment. Kate chuckled, "He was pretending with the face paint," she remarked. He stared at her and then at the stand where a young girl was having her face painted, "Why?" he asked bluntly. Kate shrugged and responded, "Why not?" as she began to walk away. He quickly followed her and responded, "It isn't logical." Kate snorted as she weaved through the crowd with ease and began to head toward what looked like a food market. He looked up to see the sign Hathaway Grocers above his head as they entered the establishment. A gust of warm air hit him and he only then realized that he had been chilled.

The store was quieter and he watched as Kate picked up a basket and began to walk through produce, "Human's aren't logical, get used to it," she stated, "You've been the Ambassador for now long?" Soval watched curiously as she looked over a stand of tomatoes and lifted one from the basket. Her fingers sweeping over it as she did so, it was only then he watched her squeeze it experimentally, "27.4 years," he said shortly, he had learned that she didn't require the same accuracy as most. Kate slipped the tomato into the basket and selected two others, "Right, you should know better," she chided as she walked to another display and picked up a basket of spinach.

The Ambassador didn't reply, only looked at the ingredients and noticed she was gathering cucumbers, mushrooms and red onions. She paused and looked at a large dark purple eggplant. "How do you feel about Chickpea Ratatoullie?" she asked after a moment, her curious blue eyes met his as she asked. "Ratatoullie?" he asked after a moment, he had never heard of a dish called such, a film but not a dish. He had never endeavored to see the film crafted by Pixar, despite the fact it was considered a classic, he did not see the logic in watching a children's movie.

She paused as she went to pick up the eggplant and grinned, "It's a take on a traditional French dish in Nice, it's a vegetable stew, basically, but I do a little sautéing and so on, to seal in the flavor," she stated as she reached for the large eggplant and put it in the cart. She was smiling as she looked at the tomatoes and quickly put back the ones she had selected and reached for a few different ones, they were smaller but plump and even brighter in color. "Vegetable stew, using eggplant?" he asked after a moment. Kate chuckled as she grabbed a small yellow onion, a zucchini, two bell peppers and a fresh head of garlic. "Yup, you've just decided on it," she stated as she walked down the aisle and picked up a jug of blueberry juice as well as Pomegranate.

Soval stared in confusion, in no way had he selected the meal, "In what way have I agreed to this menu?" he asked as he watched her toss a few sprigs of fresh herbs and walked down another aisle. She looked over her shoulder and responded, "Simple, you didn't know what it was, so now I'll show you." He clasped his hands before himself and replied, "I fail to see how I agreed to such actions." Kate plucked a glass bottle of olive oil from the shelf, and shook her head. "Didn't your father ever advise you not to argue with a woman or ask for her reasoning?" she jested.

There was a mocking smile on her lips as she carried the basket, only for him to stand before her and hold his hand out expectantly. "No, for my father was Vulcan and believed my conversations would be limited to those between Vulcans. He did however, tell me that it is a man's responsibility to aid a woman," he said coolly, "Now I would like you to, 'hand the basket over'." he commanded. Kate stared in shock at him, his lips quirked up as she held the basket at her side and she pointed at him in sheer confusion, "Y-You just used a human fraise and you didn't melt!" Soval stared in even more confusion, "It is impossible for me to melt, I am not a liquid which has been previously solidified due to freezing," he said.

Kate blinked before laughing hysterically, "Not what I meant," she gasped out, "You have to see the wizard of Oz, that's on the list," she stated before attempting to get passed him. The Ambassador took a step so that once again he was in the way, "I must insist," he said simply. Kate's eyes narrowed and she replied shortly, "I have two hands, I can carry it." Soval clasped his hands before him and said swiftly, "Yes, however if I were to be attacked by a ferocious feline you would be unable to protect me, due to your hands being occupied with the basket."

Kate slipped the basket over her forearm and crossed her arms before shifting her weight and asked, "Really? I could just drop the basket." Soval nodded as his eyes fell to it's contents and he asked, "Would you risk bruising the tomatoes and breaking the bottle of olive oil and causing a mess?" He didn't regret his words and watched as her expression twisted, "I wouldn't drop it that hard! I can carry it," she stated as she attempted to level him with a glare. She was quite convincing, however, her skill wasn't up to his. The diplomat smirked as he replied with grace, "You can not guarantee such a thing would happen, besides as the Ambassador it is my prerogative to observe other cultures," he stated as he made sure to engage her by not breaking eye contact. "Is it not chivalrous to carry the basket of a woman? Was I misinformed?" he asked.

He had expected a snide remark only to watch her shoulders fall and she looked away, her gaze falling to the floor as she did so and the basket hung from her fingers loosely. The intriguing battle ended as she held the basket out to him, he had won but not through banter, she had surrendered. "No, you weren't," she replied as she turned her attention to him, an awkward moment of silence passed as he slowly took the basket, it's weight was of no consequence due to his superior strength. Yet, it ached to do so. He watched as she steeled herself, "It's simply rare," she replied morosely.

Soval watched as she walked by, she was careful not to brush him as she did so and said, "Come on, I need to get the chickpeas and some bread. You might want to grab a box of tea." He fell into pace with her and noticed her mood had shifted, the reason behind it made him even more curious about the young woman before him. Usually she would argue to the death with him, he would never forget her statements about his lack of involvement with humans. He had seen it as a logical security measure, she had asked why it didn't apply to Vulcans. In truth, it was because all Vulcans who were to see him or worked with him, had been rigorously screened by Skon, T'Pau's bond mate, which meant they were of no threat to him.

She picked up a round of pumpernickel and rye marbled bread and placed it in the basket before walking toward the register, he had picked up several boxes of tea as well as fruits, a few other vegetables, some crackers and the like. He watched as the order was rung up and Kate reached for her credit chip, only for Soval to hold out a silver chip with a black stone and his name in Vulcan on it. She stared in confusion as the clerk accepted it. "I was going to," she said softly and Soval shook his head, "I'm you're employer and this is for work, therefore it is only logical I cove the expense."

Kate was about to argue when the cashier smiled and remarked, "How rare, a gentleman, honey you should hang onto him." That got their attention the pair looked at the middle aged woman who was bagging their goods, "There are few and far between, besides he wouldn't have carried your basket or paid the bill if he didn't love you." Kate's jaw fell open and she held her hands up, "What? NO! He's my boss," she stammered, "we're just picking up food!" He listened to her ramble and realized noticed how when ever she was flustered her words ran into each other.

Soval took pity on her and added, "Yes, she was simply assisting me since I am unfamiliar with the area." Kate looked relieved, "I am not proficient enough in the geography of the area to travel alone," he stated to only strengthen his claim. The woman at the register looked convinced momentarily before she shook her head, "Well don't you have a logical one, still he didn't have to, and it's nice you did," she then held her hand to block her lips and whispered to Kate, "Honey, you better hold onto him, he's a catch," and winked.

He stared at Kate whose complexion rivaled the tomatoes which were now in a paper bag for vivid color. He took that moment to reach around her and pick up the bag, "Yup, he's a keeper," she repeated as Kate began to walk away with more haste than necessary, he could see her blush working it's way to her ears. He carried the paper bag with ease and remained silent, "Unbelievable, she thought we were together," she griped and he watched with interest.

He found her entertaining as he watched her arms flail slightly, "Honestly! You even said you were my employer," she seethed.

Soval watched as she whipped around and stared at him, "Why would she think that we are together? It's not like I was flirting with you," she said with irritation. Soval nodded and replied after a moment, "Perhaps it was because we had argued and she interpreted it as such," he stated. Kate scoffed and crossed her arms, "Really? I mean us, together, as a couple," she stated. The Ambassador watched as several people stared at her in passing, "So what? I mean it's not like I'm not a younger friend. I could be," she raved, she was clueless about the stares. Just as she turned a corner he noticed a patch of ice and his eyes widened, "Major," he said with a hint of urgency.

Kate growled as she looked at him and continued on the path straight for a patch of ice. "Seriously, can't a girl have guy friends!" she snapped. Soval felt panic as he said sternly, "Katharine!" She turned to glare at him and continued to glare and said with venom, "I mean really it's not like I kissed you," she blushed brightly. She took another step and he watched as she lost her footing, she shouted in shock.

Without thinking he dropped the bag, it hit the pavement causing several people to stare as he abandoned it in favor of catching her. His heart was pounding in his side as he skidded to a stop before her and wrapped his arms around her body. His eyes closed as he anticipated the impact, he had tucked her into himself and was prepared for his back to hit the ice. He felt her smaller form pressed against him, her cool hands gripping his sides in shock as they fell. The pavement and ice was unforgiving as he hit it, as was his chest as he felt her fall into him. The air was expelled from his lungs violently and he felt his head hit the ice.

There was silence as he felt her grip his coat, the Ambassador opened his eyes and looked down at the mop of long blonde hair. "Kate?" he asked slowly as he rubbed a circle into her back. Kate lifted her head, her cheeks were tinted a bright pink, her sky blue eyes met his dark orbs and he noticed a flicker of embarrassment as well as nervousness. "Sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm supposed to be a MACO and yet you had to catch me," she babbled as she sat up. He was laying still as she took her gloves off and quickly slipped her fingers behind his head, he was about to protest when she glared at him. "Hang on I want to make sure you don't have a concussion, damn it. I mean honestly who the fuck gets hurt over protecting their body guard," she chastised.

He was silent, he wasn't even sure why he had responded the way he had, all he knew was that he didn't want her injured, that seeing her harmed would bring his displeasure. Her fingers swept through his hair and he felt them prod his skull gently, each touch was accompanies by worry, embarrassment, nervousness, and something else. Soval felt it stroke something long forgotten inside him and he froze, affection. Before he could think anymore on the topic Kate got up and said, "Come on, I need to pick up one last thing."

Soval got up and watched as she gathered the bag, "I'll carry it, I'm sorry I got so carried away, I put us both in danger," she said softly. She pushed the door of a shop open and he was greeted by the sight of a number of families buying camping supplies. She walked through the store with ease until she found what she was looking for. He was even more confused as she walked over to the shelf of brightly colored packages, "Flares?" he asked. Kate nodded as she picked up a package, "Yup, I'm out of the ones for my gun, so I need a refill. Since the race is today the chance of someone seeing a distress flare is high, in fact people will be looking fro them," she stated.

He understood what flares were used for, however, this mission was about secrecy and stealth, the reason they would need a flare completely eluded him. "Just in case, look we are hiking at night in the snow and ice to get to a lake, I'd rather be safe than sorry," she explained as she walked up to the register and paid for the carriages. He continued to walk out of the shop and followed her back to the sleek silver flitter. He could still feel her thoughts and the hum of her mind, it was bright, colorful and different from his late wife's, it was alien and yet familiar.

~~vOv~~

Archer paled as he stared at the Vulcan before, T'Pol had told him that Vulcan's didn't steal and yet the one before him, who was a decedent of Surak himself had just openly admitted to committing the act as though it were as simple as telling him the time. T'Pau clearly hadn't known, other wise she would have chewed him out then and there, in her unique Vulcan way. At least he thought she would, that was his impression of her after their engagement in the Forge and later on in the Capital. "You stole it?" he asked in an attempt to understand what he had just learned. Sarek nodded and replied, "Affirmative." That wasn't what he needed to hear, not only did he have the Matriarch of Vulcan's son onboard, but her son had just stolen a ship and to cap it off, he was to be Ambassador Soval's successor, only adding to the tension.

There was nothing in his training that told him how to handle something like this, in fact he was certain that even T'Pol had no idea as to how to proceed. "Why?" asked Trip, "You could have just gotten one the normal way, why that one?" Archer watched Sarek closely, the Vulcan was unexpressive and didn't even flinch at the harsh tone the engineer had just used. The young man before them drew a breath before responding, "If I had not I would not have made it, even with the loss of the ship there is a high probability that I will not reach Earth in time," he stated. Earth, Sarek was heading to Earth, but the reason for the fastest ship in the universe confused him, he understood that not even Vulcan's liked waiting but to steal something to reach his goal wasn't very logical.

Archer crossed his arms and looked thoughtfully at Sarek, there was something that the Vulcan wasn't saying. "Sarek, who told you to bring the device?" he asked after a moment. The individual who had contact him, must have been powerful and important in order for the Vulcan to respond in such a manor, he wouldn't have executed such actions if it wasn't crucial to his success. "Commander Nathanial Stark designer of this vessel, on behalf of Ambassador Soval," he stated. Stark, Archer's gaze softened at the name and he asked gently, "How was he? We haven't spoken since we left the dock. He was designing the Kallithea, and he had just finished Constellation."

He had known Stark personally since the man had worked with his father on the project, like many members of the Stark family. Warp theory was after all, created by a Stark. "I am uncertain, I had attempted to contact him yesterday but was met with static," he stated. Archer froze, Stark was always a call away, for him to be unreachable meant that something was very wrong. "What?" he asked. Sarek drew a deep breath as he clasped his hands before him and Archer noticed that he looked a little cold. He ignored it, he had to know what was wrong with Stark. Commander Stark was the top ship designer in Starfleet, even Trip admired his skill. He was also one of the only people in the Universe who knew the intimacies of Starfleet technology.

"We must set a course for Earth, something is very wrong," said Archer definitively. T'Pol nodded and he watched as she quickly left the room, he knew she was heading to the bridge to take command, and leave him to deal with the Admiralty.

~~vOv~~

The sun had set long bellow the horizon and a pair of blue eyes stared into the darkness, it was time. The darkness of the night had flooded the realms around the bright cabin, forcing the warmth of the sun into the shadows, extinguishing its gaze that brought life to the Earth, allowing it to slumber in peace. The blanket of snow which covered the Yukon Territory was her protective barrier, to allow the warmth of the earth's core to stay and from this frozen earth under foot, from bellow life would start anew, with the return of the sun in the spring. Yet, that time had yet to come, currently it was time to step into the clad landscape and venture into the darkness to reach where they had been told the future lie, at the edge of a frozen lake near a cliff.

Slender fingers wrapped around the black straps of the large heavy bag and with ease hoisted it over her shoulders. She had her fingers in thick gloves and a hat on her head, protecting her ears from the cold. A pair of goggles rested on top of hear head and the thick white coat Amanda had picked up for her was wrapped around her person. The layers were thick and constrictive, she had done this a number of times when she was with her father and Stark, and was oddly thankful it was only the lake and not the glacier that they were going to meet at.

There was a tap to her left and she looked over to see Soval standing beside her, he was dressed in double the layers she was, which was an indication of how cold he was and the risk he was assuming. She paused as she looked at the Ambassador's face, it wasn't blank, she could see the same unyielding determination in his eyes, that she had seen when he had made that speech. Regardless of her opinion and his own safety, he was going to follow her out into the arctic to retrieve the device. A desert dweller, who rarely showed compassion toward humanity, was risking his life for theirs.

They stood side by side at the back door, it would lead them out into the wilderness and onto a familiar path toward the lake. There was roughly a ten inches of snow on the path, Stark had attempted to keep it clear with a heated channel, however it wasn't perfect, they still had to walk through about a third of the amount of some on either side of the path. However it was certainly better than nothing. She placed her hand on the door and drew a deep breath, "Ready?" she asked. This was dangerous, there were wolves, snow drifts, unstable areas, ice slicks and naturally the cold could kill them.

Soval looked at her and responded, "Yes." Kate opened the door and was greeted by a blast of fridge air, it seeped into her core and licked at her skin, immediately rousing her from her comfort and setting her mind on edge. "Okay," she said shortly as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a disk. Soval's dark eyes fell on her as she snapped the disk, immediately a bright white light surrounded them and she tossed it up before them, the disk hovered with ease and she looked to the tree line. After a moment she noticed the marker, the first of several that would lead them from the cabin to the lake. "Follow me," she commanded as she walked across what she knew to be an expansive lawn in the spring and into the woods that had cut the cabin off from the world.

The snow crunched loudly under foot as she walked into the trees, her eyes fell on the coniferous trees that towered over them with ease, dominating the landscape. She knew they had been there long before Stark had even thought of a cabin in the Yukon. Each of them rising from the earth, standing proud in their own right, the passage of time marked in the many rings of their trunks and their girth. The white light bathed the surfaces it touched as they took a turn, her eyes narrowed as she listened for the sounds around herself, she wasn't about to get them killed over this errand.

The wind swept through the area, kicking up the snow slightly causing it to sweep across their path and her eyes narrowed through the purple goggles. Just up ahead there was another marker, they had a long journey to make, "What if this contact of Stark's doesn't show up?" she asked curiously. She hadn't given it a great deal of thought, she trusted the Ambassador, and his information. Yet, now she wondered if this was the right move, they were in the middle of the arctic chasing what could be a herring into the snow, which could kill them.

Soval was just a step behind her and replied, "He will, Stark trusts him, and if he does then so do I." Kate looked over her shoulder to stare at the Ambassador who had just admitted to trusting Stark, of all people. It was then she wondered if he trusted her, of course he had relied on her expertise thus far, after all he had been more than cordial when it came to the cabin and shopping. The question was if he trusted her as explicitly as she trusted him. Oddly, she had come to trust the Ambassador, she always knew where he stood, and learned that there was more to him than logic. He was a man who had lost a great deal, and yet gave everything he had to the people of Vulcan as well as Earth. She had seen his struggle to determine the best course of action when faced with a dilemma, and yet, no matter the cost he managed to find a third option, that supposedly hadn't existed.

She turned the corner and looked up at a large bolder which had been present since the time the glaciers had receded. "Why are you doing this?" asked Kate after a moment as she turned to him, she stopped in her tracks, causing the disk that was floating ahead of them to pause and drift over so that it shined above their heads, allowing her to see what little she was able to of the Ambassador's expression, his mouth and nose were covered as well as a majority of his head thanks to the thick hood. "Why are you risking your life for a reader, for information about something that you hadn't been aware of?" she asked. She had to know the answer, he wasn't known for leaping on impulse.

Soval was quiet for a moment before responding resolutely, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." A smile curled Kate's lips, she had a feeling he would say that, and she held her hand out for the disk. He watched in confusion as it fell to her palm and turned off. "Major, what are you doing?" he asked. Kate smiled as she held a finger to her lips. This was the most magical part; she needed the darkness as she looked at her watch. It was nearly time, she had to wait for this precise moment. "Major?" asked the Ambassador.

The world seemed to stop for a moment as she smiled at him and held a finger to her lips. The Vulcan was tense and she noticed his eyes were filled with confusion. Kate smiled with mirth as she pointed upward, "Look up," was all she could say. She watched as the Ambassador did so, tilting his head up slightly, his neck was craned and she heard him inhale sharply. In the sky above was filled with the presence of the moon, a brilliant silver disk against the sky, shining vibrantly her silver light sweeping over the earth's surface. Just as it swept over the bolder Kate smiled, and said, "I was hoping it was still there."

The Ambassador quickly turned his attention to the gray bolder that was capped with snow. He stared in awe as several lines of text appeared, they were golden and shimmered in the light, "By the light of the moon, follow her path to the North. Look to the sky for Polaris, let her guide you," she said aloud as she read the script. She turned to the night and looked up in the sky, her finger pointed to the star looming above them, "Polaris," she said with child like joy. Her blue eyes flickered over to the Vulcan's chocolate brown eyes and she smiled as the snow made his dark skin stand out even more. "Come on, just a little further," she instructed.

Kate quickly began to climb up the rocks, her hands finding convenient holdings and once she was at the top she held her hand out to aid the Ambassador, only to find him beside her. She smiled and felt the cold sweep across her skin, it was getting colder and they were closer now than they had been before. She walked through the forest, the darkness was now brighter than it had been before, and the night didn't seem nearly as terrifying as the snow reflected the moon light off its surface, causing it to surround them.

Her eyes lit up, she knew this place and just beyond those trees, just beyond the line of trees several meters ahead of them she would see the most beautiful sight on earth. "Are you certain this is the way?" asked Soval after a pause and Kate chuckled. She could hear how tight his voice was and knew he was cold. She waved her hand to signal for him to continue, she could tell he was going to protest as she slipped out of the tree line, "Major I fail to see how the sky is painted," he called.

Kate chuckled as she looked to him and said, "Really? Just look." Soval was about to speak as they entered the clearing only the words never seemed to fall from his silver tongue. It was amusing to see a man who had a theory about everything to fall short.

Just a few feet away, was a frozen lake, its waters stilled by the winds and snow. The mountains were in the background rising from the earth with pride and marking where the sky and earth just brushed against once another. A glacier rested between them, glowing in white and silver in the night, dark green trees encompassed them, she could smell their deep scent along with the crisp frost of the night. Yet it was none of these elements which had enthralled her and she knew had stolen the Ambassador's words.

Hanging in the sky was a translucent ribbon of light and color. It seemed to dance in the dark blue sky of the night, passing the moon seductively, like a translucent silk falling from a bolt. The crimson red hue brightened the sky above them, it was accented with a bold neon green and streaks of an orange gold color. The lights seemed to dance on their own volition, causing this bleak world of icy blues, whites and silvers to dream. Suddenly this sleeping place was caught in a dream of color and wonder, one which had enthralled every gazer since man had craned his neck to look up at the sky.

"The Aurora Borealis," she said smoothly, "It's really a bunch of electrons that are trapped at the poles due to the magnetic properties of them, they were thrown from a solar flare released by the sun. But, that doesn't make this any less magical." The Vulcan Ambassador lowered his hood and she watched in fascination as he looked at the valley. He had a thick cap on his head covering his delicate ears but she could see the look of awe in his eyes as his lips parted to speak, yet no words came. The valley that was steeped in a deep slumber had stolen his words, in order to allow the place to continue dreaming.

With ease she shrugged her pack off and quickly opened it. Soval was silent, which was odd, she had expected to hear him protest about the sky being absent of color only to look up and find him watching her with interest. The case was easy to open and after a moment she had the all too familiar bronze spyglass in her hands. She opened it and quickly looked through it, her gaze shifted to the other side of the lake only to catch something crossing it at a quick pace. It shined through the blue amber and she lowered it to look in that spot, there wasn't anyone visible, yet through the spyglass she had seen it. She held it out to Soval and pointed to the spot on the horizon.

The Ambassador was quick to follow the silent direction, "Fascinating," he breathed, it was the first word she had heard him speak since they had entered the valley. He had kept his hood down and she noticed a flush of green sweeping across his skin in an attempt to keep blood circulating to it. "It's moving at a high velocity toward us, and apparently is covered in particles which only this spyglass can detect," he surmised as he handed the spyglass back to her.

Kate collapsed it only to see something flicker and it was then she realized who ever it was, was mounted on a hover bike designed for the snow. The sound echoed through the valley, it bounded off the glaciers and ice and echoed in her ears. The lights on the front of the hover bike glowed brightly and she noticed a familiar figure come to view. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, "No," she growled, "Stark sent him?" Soval arched a brow as he too recognized the individual now speeding across the ice.

The black hover bike came slid to a stop just at the shore line and she listened the crunch of the snow under a pair of thick combat boots. Wrapped in brown and black leather was a tall figure with rather broad shoulders and thick limbs. A hood was up and she watched as the figure lowered it with grace, there was a bag over his shoulder and she heard an all too familiar greeting.

"Soval, can't say it's a surprise to see you again. It is nice however to see the lovely pink skin who had defended you," it sneered.

Kate stared at the familiar blue skinned individual before them and Soval replied, "Commander Shran." The Andorian looked at Kate with interest as he smiled a little, his white hair was brighter in the moonlight, causing his blue skin to acquire an unusual glow. "Major Forrest," he said stiffly as he nodded to her and looked at the pair, "Okay let's get to this, we don't have a lot of time and I don't feel like dying today," he said briskly. Kate was confused as she watched the Ambassador give a stiff nod and the Andorian reached into his bag, "I have no clue what this thing is, all I know is that I owed Stark and he informed me this was the best way for me to repay him," he explained as he held out a clear pyramid shaped device, it looked more like a piece of crystal than it did anything else.

The Ambassador held his hand out for it and accepted the reader without hesitation, "This will allow us to learn what's going on," replied Soval. This caused the Andorian to pause as he closed his bag and immediately looked at the Vulcan with renewed interest, apparently he had thought this was a chore. "About what?" he asked after a pause. Soval looked at the pyramid in his hands, his gloved fingers running over it, "The bombings, the identical sensor readings and destruction of vessels that weren't fired upon by the Vulcan fleet," he replied simply, as though he were stating that the terran sun rose in the west and set in the east.

Shran's eyes widened as he held his hands up, "Hold on, you're telling me that, that," he said as he pointed to the device in the Ambassador's palm, "Will tell you what is causing the chaos?" he asked in a rush, his eyes became wild and his posture was far more animated than it had been previously. The teasing tone had vanished entirely and was replaced by something far more sincere, it was alien to hear it from Shran, someone she had come to learn as boisterous and childish. Without blinking Soval replied bluntly, "Yes."

The commander crossed his arms as he looked to the ice and then to Kate, before returning his gaze to the device. "I know you aren't lying, and I know you have a great deal of integrity, as well as honor as a Vulcan," said Shran honestly, and Kate stared this was the first time any Andorian had paid Soval a compliment, "If that will tell you this, then I have a request, inform me of it's contents that pertain to us. You're people weren't the only one who have been harmed by this, those bombs," he paused. Kate watched his face twist with something akin to pain, there was silence before his eyes shot open and he glared at Soval, there was fire in his eyes as he pointed at the Ambassador, "I don't care what you have to do, get that information to me and I'll deliver it to our Ambassador, as well as the rest. This is no longer something you have to carry on your own," declared the Andorian.

Kate's jaw fell open as she stared at Shran, she thought hell would freeze over before an Andorian decided to aid a Vulcan. The corner's of Soval's lips quirked up in a smile and she stared at the pair, they had drawn a truce, an Andorian and a Vulcan had decided to forge a truce to stop fighting for one common interest, protecting their people. "You're speech caused waves in the Collation as well across the Universe, you do know your own people are questioning your ability to serve with the emotion you displayed at your last press conference," he stated. Soval held the device to Kate, who quickly tucked it into her pack and Soval replied, "Kaiidth, our primary concern is for the safety of the Collation, our people, as well as the people of Earth, neither of us desires to see them rip themselves apart."

Shran nodded as he looked over to Kate, "Major, you do realize there is a chance that you are betraying Starfleet, do you not? They are the only ones with the power to keep you in the dark," he stated darkly. Kate was quiet, she had a feeling it was Starfleet, or at least someone who was part of the fleet contributing, the Trojan and worm were too convenient. Her eyes narrowed as she replied honestly, "I am not, Starfleet was created to keep peace and balance, not to wage war and destroy cultures." The Andorian smiled widely, his blue teeth glistened in the light as his eyes danced, "Well now, looks like you've finally met someone as stubborn as you, Soval."

The Ambassador did not respond he simply looked at the horizon across the lake, it was then Kate noticed the lights slipping through it, "You're out of time Shran," he stated. The Commander whipped around and looked at the horizon, there was a stream of lights from other hover bikes, "I was here observing the wild life, Soval you know how to reach me," he stated as he mounted the hover bike, "Remember you owe me Soval," called the Andorian as he started the craft and took off across the lake. She watched as he sped away and decided it was more than time to return to the cabin, "Let's get out of here," she stated as she began to walk back to the tree line.

~~vOv~~

News it travels quickly, through channels, in our conversations daily and the images we send to one another. With each word spoken information is exchanged leading to a better understanding of the situation. Yet with the recent news which had been released by the Vulcan Embassy there seemed to be even greater confusion, no only had suspicion swarmed the embassy like flies to a caucus, due to the fact that it had not been attacked in the bombings, but the fact that the Vulcan Ambassador had decided to take an impromptu trip to the Arctic, which went against logic – that alone had caused a number of people on the planet to become even more confused. The press was constantly attempting to ascertain the reason as to why the Ambassador had left with such haste after his speech, which had a number of world leaders and members of Starfleet questioning what their mission was.

The sound of communications lines chirping was incessant and drowned out all hopes of hearing the sound of birds. There was a constant murmur though the typically still consulate as each member of the staff attempted to repair delectate systems that had been damaged during the cyber attack, release statements, fend off the press and deal with the increasing demands of the High Council after having received the speech. Needless to say that the High Council was irrigated by Soval's quick response in a speech that conveyed far more emotion than was appropriate, he had openly called for leaders and the people of Earth to determine what they desired.

Frenzy was the norm, it had kept the consulate awake for the past thirty-six hours, and Amanda was attempting to keep up with the madness that was swarming her. Starfleet was adamant about learning Kate's position as well as the reason they had went to the North, truly. She sighed as she set her head on the desk which Suran had loaned her, it was directly across from his and she groaned, she hadn't slept since the pair had left and the most she had received was a brief communication that they had arrived safely and were going to retrieve the reader. It did little to put her mind at ease since the media circus had yet to die down. She was becoming more concerned that the assailants would track them up there, thanks to media sleuths and morons.

There was a tap which had summoned her from her moment of laziness. She lifted her head so her chin was resting on the backs of her hands to finds herself face to face with a mug of steaming hot coffee, the scent soothed her exhausted mind. She looked up to see T'Vok looking down at her, she was holding a mug of tea for herself, she offered no explanation as she placed a data PADD to the ever growing mountain of them that had been amassing atop of it. "Thanks, T'Vok," Amanda said drearily as she greedily wrapped her hands around the mug and allowed its familiar warmth to slip into her over worked fingers. T'Vok nodded and asked, "Have you eaten?"

The question was basic and yet stated a great deal about the Vulcan before her, she at least cared about whether or not she had consumed nourishment. She sighed as she ran her fingers through her long brown hair, "No, I'm lucky I got to shower and change clothes," she said teasingly. The sad part was that it was the truth, the only reason she was able to was because she knew Vulcan's wouldn't appreciate her scent. T'Vok's expression was guarded but she noticed something flicker in her steel colored eyes. "I was going for my midday meal, it would be advisable for you to follow so that you are able to locate the cafeteria later," she said simply.

Amanda blinked, it was the Vulcan's way of showing concern, or at least she thought it was. "It's okay, I'll find it eventually, I have this mountain to get through," she stated as she pointed to the massive pile that looked as though it would spill onto the floor at any moment. T'Vok's gaze fell on it, and Amanda looked up at the Vulcans brown hair, it was a different shade compared to the ink black she had grown accustomed to. "Suran had requested that I show you its location and see that you are taking care of yourself," she stated. The MACO paused and stared at T'Vok, Suran had sent her, Soval's aid.

Suran had proved to be quite an asset as he took on Soval's role and played what she liked to call interference, organizing events to distract; the issue was they simply weren't enough to keep them occupied. "Well then, I guess I don't have a choice then," she stated as she got up and decided to follow the Vulcan, know it would be impossible to convince her other wise. T'Vok pivoted smoothly, her robes swaying as she did so. That was the thing she had learned to appreciate about T'Vok, she always wore beautiful robes. The colors were flattering but subtle. Amanda stared at the hem and she wondered what the fabric felt like, from the way it flowed it seemed as light as air.

T'Vok turned the corner and commented, "You are staring." Amanda jumped, bit her tongue causing, copper and iron slipped in her mouth the metallic taste was familiar and something she had learned to deal with over the many years of being a MACO, she always ended up biting her tongue at some point. "Sorry, it's just, your robes," she said and paused as she searched for the word, "They're beautiful to be honest. You always wear really nice ones, they're nothing like most of the staff's robes." It was the truth T'Vok always wore beautiful garments, and she noticed how the liaison to Starfleet from the VSA arched a brow. Amanda knew it was stupid to say, even if it was true. "You admire our textiles," she stated, ounce again she made it sound as though Amanda was being childish.

Mentally the MACO slapped herself, Kate had warned her that Vulcans were literal. "My family consists of weavers and textile makers," said T'Vok, "I am the only one who was accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy, and the first to leave Vulcan." Amanda stared, the robes weren't purchased, her family made them. She slipped her hands into her pockets and asked, "Do you know how they are made?" T'Vok nodded stiffly, she was quiet as they turned the corner. Apparently that was as much as she would be permitted to learn about the Vulcan.

Suran walked around the corner and she was about to greet him when she noticed a reporter trailing him. She glared at the rather tall and gangly man, with brown hair and dark brown eyes, he had some stubble on his face and wore a pair of silver glasses. There was a PADD clutched between his fingers and the pair were speaking. T'Vok was about to turn down another hallway when Suran called, "Major Cole, T'Vok," his voice was soft and yet she seemed to hear it even from there.

Without a second thought she approached the two and noticed the reporter immediately looked weary. "Sir?" she asked respectfully, she was dressed in uniform and stood at attention. She didn't' want the outside world to see her as incompetent and as far as she was concerned the man shadowing the Ambassador's Senior Aid was an outsider. He looked to her and said quickly, "This is Mr. Grayson, a long time friend of Osu. He has some information which we will be interested in." Amanda was confused a she watched a PADD enter her peripheral vision, suddenly the reporter's PADD was in her hands and she looked at the image.

Her eyes widened a fraction as she asked, "That's Admiral Gardner, but who is that?" as she pointed to the other figure. She quickly swept her fingers over the screen to enlarge the image. The figure had silver hair, which was shades darker than the Ambassador's, it was closer to steel, with piercing gray eyes and a square face. He was dressed in dark robes and stood across from the Admiral. "V'Las," replied Suran. Amanda paused, she had heard that name, it was mentioned in a report tied to Archer, "Wait, the former Administrator of Vulcan?" she asked.

Suran nodded and she noticed the reporter look uneasy, "Mr. Grayson will not go public with this, his editors are unaware of this information and he has informed us that he will continue to follow the Admiral," stated Suran. Amanda handed the PADD to the reporter, her eyes narrowed as she attempted to understand what was occurring. "Why did you come to us, what do you have to gain?" she asked sharply which resulted in both Vulcan's staring at her. Greyson looked offended as he crossed his arms and asked, "Why do you think I have a motive?"

Amanda grit her teeth before stating harshly, "Everyone has an angle, I want to know if yours will put them in danger," she stated. Endangering the Vulcan consulate as well as the Ambassador and Kate wasn't on her list of things to do. She didn't like the notion of someone simply walking up to Suran with intelligence, it was too convenient. "I just want to see this situation go away, and preferably with Earth still in one piece. I didn't know who he was however, the way the Admiral had met with him, made me question what was going on," he explained.

She heaved a sigh, it was an acceptable answer, "Alright, listen from now on you and T'Vok will be working on a piece about," she paused and looked to T'Vok for some assistance, she had never asked the Vulcna about her work and began to regret it. "We are working on a new series of drivers to improve space travel and the VSA is willing to assist in redesigning these," she offered. Amanda looked to Suran who nodded and stated, "That will do."

With in moments she had managed to get the Vulcans to agree and she realized that if Gardner was involved then Kate was in a lot more danger. "How bad is it that V'Las is involved?" she asked after a moment. She was met with the harsh stare from both Vulcans, and Suran answered bluntly, "Very."

Amanda groaned and hissed, "Shit, just when I didn't think this could get any worse, do you guys have files on him or something so I can read up on this guy?" she asked. Suran nodded and T'Vok pulled her PADD out of her robes, "I shall forward them to you, they are for your eyes only," she cautioned. Well it wouldn't be the first time and Amanda wondered absently just what V'Las had done to cause such tension in the two most serene Vulcan's in the consulate. It appeared she wouldn't get lunch, she had to read up on someone who was possibly responsible for the chaos which was wreaking havoc on the Universe.

~~vOv~~

Soval had given her the Master bedroom, despite her protests. Kate stretched her arms over her head and her joints popped. She slowly grabbed the hem of her sweater and slipped it over her head, the soft fabric slipped off of her with ease as she allowed it to fall gracelessly to the floor in a heap. She hummed as she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and grabbed the hem of her black tank top, her body flexing as she did so, before finally pulling it over her head. She sighed as she allowed it to fall to the floor on her way around the room.

Stark hadn't been there in years, it was clear, and obviously had a maid come in and attend to the house, it was far too clean and smelt of cleaners. She hummed as she slipped the tight white pants off and stepped out of them, her socks getting stuck in them as she did so, the air in the room was warm and chased the cold away. The goose bumps began to leave her skin and she felt as though life had returned to her body. Blue eyes slipped up to her reflection in the mirror, she had decided to wear black lace panties and bra, it wasn't like anyone was going to see it but she felt the need to feel sexy. It was juvenile and she knew it, but Amanda's advice was that a woman needed to feel strong, and sexy, to hell with the rest as long as she felt powerful it made her unstoppable.

The lights of the aurora were visible from her window and she paused, her mind wandered back to Soval. Never before had she seen such wonder in his eyes. It was strange, she hadn't anticipated that reaction, she had thought he would attempt to analyze it and come up with a scientific explanation, yet he didn't. His dark eyes simply looked at the wisps of color in the sky, making her wonder how different Vulcan's and humans really where. She had seen Vulcan art, the exercise of controlled emotion as Suran had called it, and wondered if Soval had partaken in some form of it. Perhaps there was more to this man than logic, no she knew there was more, she could remember how her skin tingled after touching his hand.

The image of him gazing out at the valley in awe was burned in her mind. She could still see his dark skin tinted a light orange due to the dancing lights, his lips parted as words died on his lips to express his thoughts, and the was his eyes seemed to give away all his emotions. She had watched him crane his neck to look at the sky and wondered what would have happened if it wasn't so cold and they weren't there on a mission. Her mind wandered back to the kiss, she blushed brightly as she remembered the feeling. Never before had she felt so alive, so desired and even wanted. The tingling that his skin made her desire to touch him once more, to feel the heat that his skin radiated and revel in his tightly checked emotions.

The blonde sighed and shook her head, that would never occur, that rare glimpse she had at the lake, the kiss in the kitchen, her falling on top of him in the square and how firm his body was, that would all vanish. She could still remember the feeling of his strong arms around her, his gentle hands on her skin, they were broad, warm and oddly tender for someone who was known for being abrasive. He didn't meet her expectations, he had redefined them. She began to wonder if the man she had gone on a hike with, the one she had witness looking at the sky with eyes filled with wonder wasn't the Ambassador of Vulcan, but Soval, a man who oddly put up with her antics all day and didn't berate her.

Soval, he was a man, he might be an alien but he was a man. His embrace was warm, and she could remember how even while dealing with the child he seemed to lighten, even if he was attempting to disillusion the child. She chuckled as she remembered the cluelessness of the Ambassador. He had been kind to her, even when she was rude, and had shown her a tenderness she hadn't received in a long time.

"NO!" she snapped as she tugged at her hair, "I can't! He would never want something as hideous as me!" He was the Ambassador, he could have anyone he desired, and he was certain that his wife was probably one of the most beautiful of Vulcan. She glanced up to the mirror and stared at the woman staring back. She was covered in scars, no one would want something so damaged, she was good enough to protect the Ambassador, and knew she would be able to convince he to create the federation, but to ask for something more. She but her lip as she hung her head.

Kate's fingers slipped over the long scars that marred her skin, the most noticeable of them traveled down her abdomen, it started under her left breast and ended just above her hip bone, it was one of the most painful of them to bear. The bite of the knife assaulted her memory as well as the gleam of joy in her captor's eyes, causing her to shiver. "I just want to be considered beautiful," she whispered brokenly, she didn't think she was anymore. She slipped her bra off as well as her panties and looked at her reflections, long ago she would have been she knew that, but the scars made her a monster.

Tears slipped down her cheeks unbidden as she looked at her arm, it didn't matter if she died for Soval perhaps that would be her only future, and she knew she didn't have one with a husband and children. No one would want something so ugly. The Ambassador wasn't the warmest individual but she could remember the time when he had been, the time he had reached out and taken her hand. He had given her comfort, and confidence, even when she didn't expect it. In that square he had offered affection to a lost child, who was in pain, and again in the server room, he had given her courage and power. He wasn't a bad person, he was a Vulcan, but that didn't mean he didn't feel.

Suran himself had stated that Soval's emotions were powerful, so much so that they had to keep control of them at all times. Kate hummed as she slowly played with her hair, allowing her wavy golden hair to fall around her, it framed her face and she looked into the mirror. "If only I was beautiful," she whispered brokenly before looking down at the carpet beneath her bare feet.

Kate slipped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, it was scalding hot and the steam flooded the room. The water hitting her skin, slowly warming her body, if only she could loosen her joints and muscles, a massage was ideal but not possible. She sighed as the water ran over her shoulders, it was soothing her ragged mind and she hummed.

~~vOv~~

Cold, it slips through the skin and settles in the bones as though it had always been there, a numbing sensation sets in at first, before an agonizing fire retaliates to prevent the loss of limb. Dark eyes fell on purple fingers, tremors ripped through the usually still limbs of the Vulcan Ambassador, and it took all he had to prevent his teeth from chattering. He had gotten too cold while they waited for Shran, as always the Andorian was enjoying himself in the snow. His joints refused to obey, resulting in him moving far too stiffly, his fluid motions form years of training with a lirpa were non-existent. His arms wrapped around himself intensity, in an fruitless attempt to warm himself as he pushed his limbs to go up the stairs.

He had sent Kate to take a shower because she was turning blue, he wasn't about to loser her to hypothermia. Soval turned the corner and as soon as he entered his room turned up the heat, yet, for as high as he pushed the thermostat, he didn't feel the adjustment. He lacked the ability to adjust his body temperature on his own, which was alarming. Vulcan's were able to internally adjust their core temperatures to compensate, and yet he was unable to do so, proof that he had been out in the arctic winds too long. Heat, his mind screamed for him to find a source of heat and curl against it. Without hesitation he slipped out of his wet clothing and put on both a thick sweater and a pullover, he remembered arguing with Suran that he did not require such an article, only now did he realize how incorrect he was.

He slipped into a pair of thick jeans and hiking socks, his arms curling around his middle as he did so. Yet for all these changes, nothing occurred, he was still too cold. His eyes floated over to the bed for the duvet only to realize that wouldn't be drastic enough. Oddly Stark didn't have heat laps, there was a fireplace but he didn't desire attempting the stairs, his joints were too stiff and the likelihood that he would fall was far greater than going up them.

His eyes fell on the bathroom, Stark had both sonics and a hydro shower, sonics wouldn't warm him. Sonics knocked the dirt away, the water however would. The issue was he found water based showers immensely uncomfortable. A quick one would raise his body temperature, but he would have to make sure he remained conscious, considering Vulcan's were far more sensitive to water than humans. He stared at the bathroom, it was tempting, and at that point all his body craved was heat. Soval hummed as he walked into the bathroom, there weren't any towels hanging.

The Ambassador looked around the cobalt blue room, with white marble tiles for some kind of closet. Most humans kept a closet for towels and such in the bathroom, it was logical after all. His eyes flickered over the modern sink that was essentially a large glass bowl mounted on a cabinet with silver fittings and a drain. The shower was enclosed by a pair of clear glass walls. The closet was located a few paces from the shower, clearly who ever designed the bathroom had quite a bit of logic. With as much grace as he could muster, he commanded his frozen limbs to move.

Soval opened the linen closet only to discover there weren't any towels, he didn't find it Kate's fault, considering the house wasn't hers. He walked through the hallway to where she had said the Master bedroom was. The Vulcan paused outside the door when he noticed it was open a crack, he gazed through it, it was silent and at first he had thought she were asleep. He wasn't about to wake her after the long day, he would simply wrap himself in as many blankets as possible and attempt to meditate, although he was certain that wasn't possible since his biology was forcing him to stay awake to prevent himself from passing out and becoming more vulnerable. He had been hoping to use the hot water to warm his skin and make himself more comfortable.

There was a sigh, it sounded broken and dejected, and his dark eyes fell on her standing in the nude before a mirror. He was about to look away when his eyes caught something he wished they never had.

Long angry scars across her back, they stood out against her pale skin he was frozen. She had far too many, he thought that some of them were from previous missions but logic argued against this. His eyes glided over long ghosts of scars traveling down her back, from shoulder to her lower back, crossing angrily, marring what should have been perfectly smooth skin. Scars on her arms jagged and gnarled, he couldn't see even a whisper of the scar she was bearing from being shot in the arm in the alley, there were simply too many.

Yet there was one scar in particular that wasn't on her back, arms or thighs even, it was the most visible and the raised skin was still pink. Kate turned slightly to gaze at her reflection in the mirror, only for him to see it, a scar travelling from under her breast, across her abdomen and ending at her hip bone. It was vicious in nature, it had been done to break her, it wasn't unusual in the act of torture to resort to such methods, but he prayed she hadn't been subjected to such violence. Scars of that nature were often accompanied by deeds that made any Vulcan boil with rage. His lips parted and he attempted to get himself to look away, to give her the privacy she needed, he already knew banishing those images was impossible, his memory would never allow it.

Soval drew a deep breath in an attempt to center himself, Max, his friend would have been furious. It made him wonder when such a thing harmed her, when someone had been bold enough to take a whip to her back and knife to her skin. If they had done so when Maxwell was alive he knew full well that it would be impossible to find the body. No one deserved that kind of treatment and if Maxwell had learned of the act being inflicted on not only his daughter but others, he knew the Admiral would make the perpetrators vanish conveniently.

Questions burned in his mind. He had given Kate his contacts and even informed Suran as well as the temporary Ambassador that if she were to contact them, her call was to be forwarded to him, regardless of time and engagements. All she had to do was call, she just had to reach out and he could have helped her, as he had Maxwell so long ago when Star Fleet had abandoned him. He could have saved her, protected her, provided comfort, and brought punishment to those who wronged her.

No, he would have, he would have dropped everything and ran across the universe just for her. He couldn't handle the notion of her being in such agony, to imagine her in tears, broken and alone. Green fires wrapped around him and he forced them back, he was already cold, allowing him self to enter a state of rage wasn't a good idea; it would make the situation far worse.

"If only I was beautiful," the words rang in his ears and the Ambassador grit his teeth, his control was breaking as he listened to her, he noticed tears sliding down his cheeks and it took everything he had not to lash out. To not question her relentlessly to learn of the vile creature that had done this and kills him. No questioning would cause pain, he had to calm her. Soval shook his head, emotions were swirling out of his control and he fought to keep them in check. He couldn't become emotionally compromised now.

He watched her turn to the bathroom and felt his heart ache in his side. Those scars weren't something she should have. Kate slipped into the Master Bathroom and the door closed behind her. Soval slipped his hand around the door and gripped it harshly, there was a part of him that wanted to embrace her and tell her she was wrong. It wasn't proper, it broke propriety and her trust that he would violate her personal space, but he couldn't handle her having such low self-esteem. Maxwell was proud, as was her mother, to see the girl in such a state, to have been battered angered him, annoyed him, hurt him and made him desire to break something. His control was slipping as he gripped the door harder.

Dark eyes remained on the bathroom door, there was a primitive part of his mind screaming at him to comfort her, to trace her scars with his fingers and tell her that she wasn't beautiful, she was gorgeous. The Ambassador growled as he released the door and returned to his room, he required meditation and warmth, something to bring him just a modicum of peace, just a measure that would allow him to sleep. He stepped into his room and closed his eyes, control, he needed to have control.

Once he had the device they would be all business, and there wouldn't be anything else. Business, professionalism, he could handle that.

Professionalism, the same word he had uttered when his anger boiled after the High Command refused to build the new consulate on Earth. His wife had dreamed of having her work on display for all the universe and since Earth was proposing to serve as a central hub, there was no other place to put the building. Soval had held onto the plans for decades, hoping that he would one day have the opportunity to work as the Ambassador on Earth. With each assignment she would tell him he would perform admirably and to the best of his abilities. Never once did she question his skills. He closed his eyes and saw the image of his wife, her light brown hair and brilliant hazel eyes. She was paler than he was and had delicate features. Her voice would ground him, and her creativity fueled his desire to become even more for her.

He could remember her slender form perched on a stool before her massive holographic table, the lights dimmed and her fingers dancing in the air, adjusting measurements, altering the location of beams and working on floor plans that were fluid, yet confined. Her hazel eyes would be locked on the brilliant blue renderings, manipulating each element as though it were the most natural act. Off to her side on a smaller table away from her tools would be a cup of tea and a tea pot, as well as another stool just for him. Watching her create was intriguing, somehow she managed to take something as simple as a line and use it to create an entire structure. For hours he would sit beside her, working on his PADD in the comfortable silence.

The drawings, those drawings were the greatest of her work, the pinnacle of it. She had designed sky scrapers, public buildings, hospitals and many other structures, including a trading post on a far moon of Hetrix III and on Risa. However the greatest of them was the Embassy, his embassy, which had existed only on paper for years. Vulcan had used human built buildings out of simplicity. For decades T'Androma had worked to change this, to have a structure erected that represented Vulcan as a culture. She proposed the drawings time and time again, and each time they had offered her the chance of the structure being built on another planet. T'Androma's argument was always, the same, 'Earth is proposing to become the center of a planetary alliance, shouldn't it be built there?' This was after a number Ministers had agreed that the structure represented Vulcan ideals and would certainly cause other cultures to remember their age as well as superiority.

Decades flew by as she built more buildings, and she slowly aged, Soval knew what he wanted, he would have the consulate built for their anniversary. It would be the first and only thing he would ever ask of the High Command. It was the reason he had gone to the High Command's meeting hall that day. That terrible day he had been the reason she died, the explosion was meant for him, never her. Soval clenched his fists, everyone who got close to him got hurt.

The vivid scar appeared in his mind and he lashed out, he picked up a black decorative glass vase with a vein of red running up the side, and threw it. He watched it fly through the air before slamming into the wall on the opposite side of the room, the shards flew across the floor, and the sound of glass shattering against the wall soothed something inside of him. It was primitive, and he clenched his fingers in fists as he growled darkly. His body trembled with the anger he was attempting to contain, his desire was to kill the person who wronged her, to destroy him with his hands and enjoy the feeling of watching a vile creature begging him for mercy.

Kate's terrified blue eyes from that night when she had first tasted his anger flickered in his mind and Soval instantly snapped from his tirade. He felt himself exhale and stared in shock at the room, the vase was in pieces, glistening like jagged diamonds against the dark hardwood floor, just under a photo. Soval staggered backward until he was leaning against the door. His eyes wide with shock, he had done that. He hadn't lost control to such a degree since he was a teenager, not even after his wife's death did he commit such and act. He felt the door's harsh surface press against his back and he slowly slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. His hands rested at his sides and he looked up at the ceiling unseeing.

"What are you doing to me Kate?" he asked.

Soval ran his fingers through his hair, and glanced at the mess. He probably scuffed the paint on the wall, it wouldn't be a first time. He slowly pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to the mess. He didn't care about the glass as much as he did maintaining his control. Dark eyes fell on the pile of jagged glass shards, before he walked into the bathroom and grabbed the trash reciprocal and a dust pan which was under the sink. The jingle of the shards of glass as they were swept off the floor and into the dustpan echoed in the room. The mess was cleaned quickly and efficiently, as always. Yet, it didn't fix the fact that he had lost control.

"Professionalism," he whispered, "We are professionals."

Soval slowly walked over to his bag and reached into it, he was going to grab his PADD when he felt something cool and familiar against his fingers. He slowly fished it out of his bag and stared, he had forgotten that he had instructed Suran to always pack it. It was a bronze colored holographic image disk, he knew what was on it. He slowly sat in the middle of the bed and turned it on.

Immediate the disk flickered to life and he watched a young woman with pointed ears glance up from her work station to look up at him. Her hazel eyes seemed to dance, the red sky was darker in the background and he could see Vulcan's dual suns setting on the horizon. It casted an elegant orange glow across her features, making her hazel eyes burn brightly. She smiled a little for him as she straightened and began to walk him through the drawing, her voice was crisp and clear as a bell. As she was pointing out where she was going to have the supports for the foyer laid, another woman entered. She had long black hair, which was tied behind her head, she had his hair and her mother's eyes, her complexion was a tone in between them, his drastic dark olive skin tone and her pale golden. She had small lips and a soft rounded nose, her figure was fuller than her mothers, but she had her mother's passion for her work. T'Zantha looked at him inquisitively before looking to her mother's work.

"Ambassador?" asked a familiar voice, it didn't belong to the holo-player. Soval looked up to see Kate standing in the doorway, her blonde hair was down and she was looking at the images before him. "Sorry, I heard a crash and wanted to make sure you were alright," she explained, "May I enter?" Soval nodded mutely and looked at the image before him, his family, or what remained of them. Kate's blue eyes fell on them and she whispered, "They're beautiful. Who are they?" Soval was tempted to tell her that it didn't apply to her, however, he couldn't not after seeing her scars, there was a part of him that felt as though in order for him to atone for his error she had to see some of his scars.

He held out the holo-player to her tentatively, his eyes never leaving Kate's as he did so. She understood and with slight hesitation collected the device. "That was my family, the woman on the left was my wife, T'Andoroma, and the young woman on the right is my daughter, T'Zantha," he explained. Kate was silent as she looked at the pair, only for the image to shift and she had finally gotten to see the three of them together. He was younger in the photo and had only just begun to gray; Kate stared at the image and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Soval nodded, he couldn't tell her apologies were illogical, he could tell she was sincere in the statement and there was a part of him that was glad she felt something for his loved ones. "T'Androma was an architect, she designed the consulate," he stated. Kate nodded as she looked to him and he was about to ask how she knew until she replied simply, "Suran." Of course Suran had told her who had designed the building. Then again her full name was on a plaque near the entrance.

He remembered the day he had watched them mount the plaque, it was the first time he had met Maxwell, a brilliant young man who was determined to get into space. He had been asked to meet with him and hand off the plans for the engine, only to find himself being part of a photography opportunity and having his face plastered on the front page of every major Earth Paper. Maxwell of course was nervous about the encounter and had made it clear he never intended for himself to be used in such a way. However, Soval saw no harm, considering the young man was not only respectable but genuinely interested in the newly opened consulate.

He noticed the device flicker and watched her eyes widen at the next image. It was of him leaning over a holographic projector and pointing to several Vulcan construction crews as they began working on the substructure of what would become the consulate. "It took me a decade to convince the High Command build T'Androma's building after wrecking what was the consulate," he said after a pause. Kate's gaze lifted to him and he noticed a spark in her blue eyes, she was genuinely interested, she had the same look Maxwell did when ever he was. She tentatively sat on the edge of his bed, "The High Command had refused, stating that the building was still standing and useable, even though it wasn't structurally sound," he stated, "T'Androma had designed the Consulate after I had been promoted to Ambassador, and it was a gift to me during the ceremony."

Sadness filled him as he drew a deep breath and continued, "I had told her it was unnecessary, I didn't require a gift since I was only to become the Ambassador to Trylex seven in the Gamma quadrant. She of course argued other wise and decided to give me the drawings. At the time, I was the youngest of the Ambassadors, young, hard working and determined to prove my worth. So, in honor of this she designed a building that had a strong presence, that was inspired by Vulcan design but wasn't hampered by tradition.

"The design it's self was entered in a competition several times, when there had been a chance that the consulate here on Earth would then be rebuilt. I had submitted her designs for her, without her knowledge, I had seen it as only logical since she had desired her building to be seen by all species," he explained and Kate chuckled. He paused and looked at her questioningly, she shook her head and commented, "Of course you did." He could tell she had found it amusing and decided to leave that matter for later discussion. "T'Androma was irritated with me for submitting them, she even threatened to have both myself and Zan sleep outside," he stated. Kate stared at him and Soval realized she was unaware of his pet, "My Sehlat, Zan. We both managed to negotiate to at least sleeping on my side of the bed, well Zan got to sleep in the bed and I was… how the Admiral used to say, 'banished to the couch'. My banishment lasted for two weeks as the judges deliberated on drawings.

"Then one afternoon when I returned from the offices I found myself with my wife in my arms and groceries on the floor. It was the first time she had exhibited such emotion openly, she had been named one of the top three architects out of the 6,893 that had entered. Her designs were featured in several articles and those who had access to the files had immediately asked to hire her. T'Androma went from an unknown name in a large architecture firm to the owner of her own in less than a year," he stated, Kate's eyes shined and he noticed a warm smile on her lips, the holo-player was left on the bed, images flickering by as he recounted the story.

Soval looked to his hands for a moment and remembered what her hands had felt like in them. Those small strong and calloused hands that were a conduit for her creativity and unusual ideas, which had been his inspiration on many occasions. For a Vulcan T'Androma was the most creative he had ever met. "She quickly became renown on Vulcan and was building structures across the universe, she traveled as much as I did, and our daughter was more than agreeable with maintaining the house while we worked. There were many occurrences where our paths would cross, mine in the diplomatic circles and hers with the architects," he continued as he remembered the lunches with her in exotic locations and bringing her to dinners.

Kate's eyes fell on the holo-player and she watched as the building took shape, with each image they made even more progress, "She never got to see it built," she said softly, it was saddening to hear her voice take on such a sound of solemnity. "No, she did not," he replied. A tear slipped down Kate's cheeks, and Soval paused, he had hurt her. "It was not my intention to harm," he jumped instantly. Kate laughed and shook her head, "No, it's just, she sounds amazing, I wish I met her," she explained. Soval allowed a small smile to curl his lips, he was certain T'Androma would have liked Kate. "You fought for it didn't you? You're the reason it was built," she said after a moment.

Clearly she was every bit the investigator as Maxwell had been and he replied, "Yes, she had won the competition, and it was only logical to showcase the building on Earth." He watched as a look of both respect and joy warmed Kate's features, chasing away all the evidence of pain she possessed. He was confused as he felt her mood shift and lighten. "You made her immortal," she observed, "By having the building built and overseeing the construction you made sure that her legacy lived on and her desires were fulfilled." Soval was still, there was only one other person who had pointed that out, another intelligent woman so long ago. "Now you are the Ambassador," she said softly, "and you protect her memory."

Soval watched as Kate looked over the images, it had come to an end and the final image was one that he knew she had seen before. Standing beside him was Maxwell, dressed in a Lieutenants uniform, holding a PADD, they were standing before a plaque which he had just unveiled with his wife's name on it, written in Standard, Vulcan and all the languages of the Collation. It glimmered in the light against the brick red tiles of the foyer and was in a place of honor by the door.

Kate was silent as she shifted on the bed and asked, "Do you need anything?" The question was posed with an air of kindness, it wasn't only because she was the host but shone that she had somehow looked through his façade and into the emotional turbulence. He was about to say towels only to realize that he didn't feel as cold as he had before, somehow talking to her and sitting in the warm room had helped him.

"No, thank you, I'm adequate," he replied.

Kate chuckled, the sound rang in his ears, it was lighter than his wife's laugh and warmed a part of him that he thought was dead. She slipped a damp strand of blonde hair behind her ear and tugged the sleeves of her dark plum sweater down. "Okay, well I'm going to bed," she said after a moment, "I guess we'll look at the file tomorrow."

He watched as she got off his bed and began to cross the room, "Good night, Soval," she said softly on her way out. She was gone before he had a chance to bid her the same and he smiled as he turned off the holo-player, "Good night, Kate, sweet dreams," he whispered to the empty space.